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Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:02 pm
by Perjury
As you may have noticed from my LSDAS Report I have taken the LSAT three times. I cancelled my score the first time as I felt that I did not perform as well as I should have. The second time I received a score of 160 while the third time I received a score of 153. I took the third LSAT with expectations to score in the mid to high 160’s, yet on the day of the LSAT I underperformed. I was anxious the night before the exam and I had received very little sleep. I took the exam fatigued and was not able to fully concentrate. I felt I should have cancelled but decided against this as this was my final chance to receive a third LSAT score. The seven point drop from my second to third score does not reflect my ability to perform well in law school. If given a chance to study at your law school I will do so at a level that no standardized exam can measure.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:10 pm
by fl0w
Perjury wrote:[strike]As you may have noticed from my LSDAS Report I have taken the LSAT three times. I cancelled my score the first time as I felt that I did not perform as well as I should have. The second time I received a score of 160 while the third time I received a score of 153. I took the third LSAT with expectations to score in the mid to high 160’s, yet on the day of the LSAT I underperformed. I was anxious the night before the exam and I had received very little sleep. I took the exam fatigued and was not able to fully concentrate. I felt I should have cancelled but decided against this as this was my final chance to receive a third LSAT score. The seven point drop from my second to third score does not reflect my ability to perform well in law school. If given a chance to study at your law school I will do so at a level that no standardized exam can measure.[/strike] I fell extremely ill and my entire family died 20 minutes before the test.
I really don't know what to tell you. Your effort to explain your drop in score is not going to make anyone look favorably upon your application or disregard the new lower score. Without a valid reason for the low score, I probably wouldn't volunteer this info.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:13 pm
by Perjury
so don't write an addendum or my addendum just sucked.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:13 pm
by richardfitzwell
I award you no points and may god have mercy on your soul.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:13 pm
by autarkh
Law school will test your ability to perform under even greater psychological pressure and weeks of accumulated sleep deprivation. Drop all references to lack of sleep before the LSAT.
Say, simply, that your third attempt does not reflect your ability, and that you took it for a third time because you felt confident that you could perform better than your second attempt. If you're willing, offer to take it again if they give you a waiver.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:17 pm
by cubswin
I would not submit an addendum to schools that don't ask for one. Just apply and hope they use the highest score. For schools that do request an addendum for multiple scores, try submitting a minimalist version of this. Cut out the reasons. Just say you tried to re-take for a higher score but ended up underperforming.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:18 pm
by autarkh
Also, pretend the first test does not exist. It's there, but there's no need to mention it. Don't go into unnecessary details. You canceled it. End of story.
You also need a stronger opening than "you may have noticed". They noticed. They're paid to notice.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:22 pm
by Perjury
I'm screwed aren't I? I might as well just kiss my future law career goodbye or apply to Cooley with the hopes to ending up as a lead file clerk.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:24 pm
by richardfitzwell
Perjury wrote:I'm screwed aren't I? I might as well just kiss my law career goodbye or apply to Cooley with the hopes to ending up as a shift manager at McDonalds.
no you are not screwed. Your addendum does nothing for your application as you do not have a valid reason. Re-write it.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:28 pm
by autarkh
You posted requesting a critique, and we've given it to you. IMO the addendum, as written, hurts more than it helps. But you're not screwed. A 160 will get you into a lot of places if paired with a decent GPA.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:28 pm
by Perjury
Whatever I wrote that is exactly what happened. I don't have any other excuse. Plain and simple I fucked up on the LSAT that day. The third LSAT was the Feb '10 exam.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:30 pm
by Perjury
so just don't submit an addendum till requested?
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:32 pm
by cubswin
Perjury wrote:Whatever I wrote that is exactly what happened. I don't have any other excuse. Plain and simple I fucked up on the LSAT that day. The third LSAT was the Feb '10 exam.
This is immaterial. What happened and how you choose to present what happened are two different things.
Re: Please Critique My LSAT Addendum
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:22 am
by PowerThirst
Unless you have a valid reason for submitting an addendum, which I am pretty sure "i just sucked at the LSAT that day" is not, don't submit one. Depending on the school they may just focus on your higher score, or they may not.